A
kite shield was a long, triangular shield with a rounded top that
was used by both the Normans and the
Anglo-Saxons at the Battle
of Hastings. Made of wood, iron and leather, shields were used
to parry blows. The size of the shield enabled it to be used to protect
the legs as well as the body. Sometimes the shield was employed to
knock an enemy knight off his horse.
Gilt bronze casket showing a kite shield (c. 1140)
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